The Love of Destruction
by DragonSlayerArts
Summary: Perseus is the first god, born of Ouranos' dark heart, and brother of Aphrodite. Cursed with domains which he never wished to control, Perseus is thrust into a world of coldness and discrimination. But will a certain auburn-haired moon goddess change his view of himself, or will Perseus be consumed by the hatred and destruction that Fate had allotted to him? God!Percy AU.
1. Prologue: Origins

Hello Fanfiction goers! I've always wanted to write a Pertemis story with god!Percy, so here it is! Sorry for any awkward wordings. And as always, feedback is much appreciated! Thanks! ~ DSA

This story begins in ancient Greece and will end in the PJO era. Yeah, I hope this first chapter's not too boring.

Disclaimer: The Percy Jackson series is property of Rick Riordan and in no way, shape, or form does it belong to me.

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><p><strong>Prologue: Origins<strong>

It began with Gaea, the Earth, and Ouranos, the Sky. Late in the age when the Protogenoi ruled Chaos' creation, they bore their first children: three of the hundred-handed Hecatonchires and three one-eyed Cyclops. However, upon beholding his children's monstrous forms, a disgusted Father Heaven Ouranos pitched them into the deepest, darkest reaches of Tartarus, the Great Pit.

The grieving Mother Earth then brought forth her seventh child Kronos, the first Titan. In her fury at her husband, she kindled within that son a burning hatred of his father, training him for the final blow against the Sky, raising him with whispered promises of revenge and power. Upon his coming of age, the Titan finally set out down the road his mother had paved for him.

The skillfully wielded scythe was swung, and the end of an immortal life was nigh. From Father Heaven's ichor came the Giants and the Furies. The chopped up pieces of Ouranos rained upon the oceans, and from the frothing foam rose the first gods. The Heart of the Sky bore the eldest god Perseus, god of hatred and destruction, while the Loins of Father Heaven brought forth Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.

Different as the parts they originated from, such were Perseus and Aphrodite. As Aphrodite drifted east to rest upon the sand of Cyprus, Perseus was swept westward to run ashore upon the great island of Delos.

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><p>A young man, draped in a cloak of darkness, rose unsteadily to his feet on the sandy shores of Delos. His eyes, which were as blue as the sea he was born from, scanned the length of the beach, taking note of the forests sprawled over the vast majority of the island. He took a step forward, closed his eyes, and stood relishing the feel of the grains of sand between his toes and the salty sea breeze blowing through his midnight black hair. The cries of the forest creatures, the beating of the waves upon the shore, the rusting of leaves high in the branches of the forest trees, all this activity rejuvenated the man.<p>

The sensation of living was so refreshing, but some instinct told him that it was in his nature to destroy, to steal away that life which he was currently basking in. He ignored the feeling as he plowed forward into the dense foliage, eyes still firmly shut, searching for something even he himself knew not. Wild animals peered at him from the underbrush, instinctively keeping their distance. This was a new kind of higher power, and he was not to be bothered.

As the man walked briskly through the tangle of plant matter, the thrum of life rushed through his veins with increasing intensity. Upon reaching a clearing deep within the forest, he was forced to a halt by the sudden appearance of three beings who materialized in a flash of blinding white light. "Who are you to disturb the peace and life of this island?" he demanded. An unpleasant sensation bubbled up in his chest as the feeling of calm and his connection to the living things of Delos vanished in that one instant.

An old woman's voice cackled, "You are one to talk about peace and life in such a reverent way, godling. Open your eyes. Look around. Recognize the irony in your words, Perseus, god of _destruction_."

At the woman's words, the newly named Perseus opened his now-glowing blood red orbs and absorbed the sight of the clearing around them, expecting to find the lush green trees and flitting of wildlife all around him. But to his horror, he realized what he now viewed was the utter decimation of life as far as the eye could see. The plants had withered and turned an ash-gray color, as did the once-fertile soil. The carcasses of birds and animals littered the ground, under a thick layer of black dust which used to be the fresh green leaves of the thousand-year-old trees that, just moments before, had stood proud and tall as they saluted the sky, but now had been reduced to mere skeletons of their previous grandeur.

Perseus gaped at horrendous sight, feeling the bile rise to his throat, unable to comprehend what had just occurred, "D-did… _I_… do that? How?"

"Think, godling. What was that rejuvenating energy that was flowing through your veins? Why would we, the Fates, appear before you and force you to open your eyes?" another one of the Fates chided.

Perseus paled, and his eyes returned to their original sea blue as his mind came to the only conclusion possible, "I _sucked the life _out of this island?" He directed his gaze for the first time to the controllers of the threads of life. They were three terrifying old sisters. Clotho, the Spinner, was passing a length of thread to Lachesis, the Alloter, who stood next to her, examining every inch of the finished thread. Atropos, the Inevitable, waited on the other side of Lachesis, quietly fingering her shears.

"This one is perceptive," Atropos said and gestured to the ground beside her to a pile of short pieces of string, "Those were the life-strings of the animals and plants you killed. Know it well. That is the power that you wield: total destruction in any shape possible."

"As god of destruction and hatred, the power to ruin anything both physically and emotionally is right at your fingertips," Lachesis gestured around at the decimated landscape around them for emphasis.

Perseus' eyes were wide in fear, both of the old women and himself. He was a monster. There was no other word to describe what he was. Even monster was not a strong enough word to apply to the sheer evilness of his abilities and actions.

"Quiet those thoughts, child. They will do you no good. You did not intentionally kill these plants and animals. It is not what kind of powers you have, but how you use the power that counts," Clotho chided, then leaned toward his ear and whispered, "I can see you have a pure heart, godling. Rest assured I have woven several extra qualities into your thread to aid you in your journey to greatness. Use them well."

"We cannot linger much longer, Sisters," Lachesis warned, fading away even as she uttered her statement, "Farewell, Perseus, the first god. God of destruction, hatred, loyalty, and abstinence. Protector of innocence…"

With a final flash of blinding light, the sister Fates vanished to lands unknown, leaving Perseus in the desolate wasteland, finally identifying the object of his search, something that man, to this very day, still works tirelessly to uncover. It was at this moment, in the midst of death and destruction, that Perseus' heart glowed with hope, and he began his eternal journey to discovering his true self.

With that goal in mind, Perseus steeled his heart and continued onward through the ashen trunks of the dead trees. Something in his gut was telling him to find the nearest water source. Perseus stumbled upon a small stream a short way away from the clearing and sat on the bank, contemplating what to do. The instinct flared once more and told him to dip a hand into the water.

Perseus did so, submerging his fingertips into the soothing, cool liquid. As soon as his hand was underwater, he began to understand the situation. All life stemmed from water, and the water in the stream would slowly diffuse through the ecosystem, through the soil, sand, and air to finally arrive in the roots of a tree or the blood of an animal, giving or maintaining life to those in need of it.

Reaching deep within himself, Perseus gathered all the life energy he had subconsciously stolen from the island and channeled it through his fingertips and out to the water. He immediately noticed a change in the environment; the soil once again darkened in fertility and small saplings began sprouting from the newly enriched earth. The young god didn't know how long he sat on the bank of that little stream, watching the life slowly return to the island, trying to channel all the stolen energy back to the earth, and defying the purpose he was naturally endowed with. All he knew was that he was a living paradox, and that in itself was enough for him to double his efforts.

As Perseus depleted his reserves of stolen life energy, he began to reach into his own resources and continued to feed energy into the stream. He never noticed his fatal mistake until he had delved to a point from which there was no return. As he felt his life force slowly slipping away, it was all Perseus could do to slow the flow of energy. When at last he was about to end the struggle and give in to the intense pull of the water, the flow was stopped. With his last burst of strength, Perseus contained his remaining life force, counteracting any want to give or receive it.

The last action breached the limits of his capabilities, and Perseus found himself tensing up as he slipped away to the rolling black waves of the subconscious. And there he would remain, for centuries upon centuries, until the soft coaxing of the Moirai roused him to wake, face to face with an auburn-haired girl and her glowing silver eyes.


	2. Blue Eyes, Silver Eyes

Hello Fanfictioners! I'm here with a new chapter of The Love of Destruction! Thank you guys so much for all the support you've given me for this story! I'm looking to post a new chapter every week or so. Plus, I got some inspiration for this chapter from the actual books, so please don't go too hard on little old uncreative me XD. Anyway, on to the story! ~ DSA

Disclaimer: As much as I wished I did, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. That right belongs to Rick Riordan. :)

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><p><strong>Blue Eyes, Silver Eyes<strong>

**500 Years Later…**

_Freedom, joy, exhilaration, these are the emotional associations of a hunter to a hunt. Hunger, satisfaction, and survival, these are the motives for a hunt. The rustle of leaves, the twang of a bow, the gasp of the dying breath, such are the sounds of a hunt._

There was a flash of silver and a thud. The keen senses of the stag detected the danger lurking in the trees, triggering its flight into the underbrush on the banks of the stream. A sigh was not much later in coming as the Huntress appeared in all her glory, come to retrieve her stray arrow.

With eyes of the same flashing silver as her bow, the goddess glared viciously upon the tree into which her weapon had been impaled, as though a single hard look may be enough to shatter the offending obstacle to pieces. Artemis, daughter of mighty Zeus and goddess of the moon and hunt, had missed her target. She had recited her lesson word for word in her mind; she had memorized the teachings and established a bond between the hunter and her hunting ground. Yet she had failed.

Artemis grumbled angrily to herself as her deft fingers, molded for excellence in the field of archery, nimbly plucked the feathered projectile from the rough bark of the pine tree, practiced hands stucking the shaft back into the quiver from whence it came. The goddess then reached toward the tree to heal the blemish her arrow had inflicted upon the tree trunk's gnarled, yet relatively untarnished surface.

As the tip of her fingers gently brushed against the bark, Artemis recoiled in shock at the energy held in this particular pine. Unlike regular trees and plants, which channel energy in and out of themselves constantly, this tree was essentially acting as a container to a vast supply of magical, godly power. It appeared to have been building up for centuries, and it seems that it was close to breaking the confines into which it had been cast. The tree was almost vibrating with the sheer power it engulfed.

As the seconds winged by, Artemis could feel the power growing, and with a violent red energy wave that rippled around the earth, the tree... was a tree no more. The young goddess, who managed to erect a shield about herself, looked on at the glowing pine in curiosity, tempted to get closer and touch it, but instinct reined her in. This was the awakening of a deity, and the effects were often violent and unpredictable.

Within the minute, the blood-red light had dissipated and now mellowed out to a much more pleasant blue color, such that was only found in the great sea surrounding the island of Delos. It was at this point that the dormant powers of the god began to awaken and morph the body in which it resided.

Artemis watched on, spellbound as the leaves and branches slowly disintegrated into the air. Little by little, the pine disappeared, turning into a dull, grey ash and drifting off in the wind. At last, the decomposition slowed as it reached the base of the tree. The top layer of wood was slowly devoured by the awakening power, slowly revealing first the hem of a dark cloak, a bare foot, a white chiton underneath the shadowy cloak, a strong hand digging partially into the soil, and so on. At last, the hair was uncovered, locks of midnight black. The sharp, defined, yet slightly rugged facial features were next to be revealed, closely followed by the other hand which was resting loosely in the stream.

In moments, the ancient pine had transformed into the unconscious form of a man, no… deity, of whom the world had never known. Or so Artemis assumed. She had never left her island home of Delos in the three years she had been there. As the goddess beheld the man, who looked to be of 20 human years, a most random and disturbing thought surfaced to the front of her mind, _He is rather handsome._

She cringed as she comprehended what her mind was thinking. No, it could not be. Artemis had never given any thought to men in her entire existence. Why would she start now? As the goddess was engaging in an internal debate, the man gloriously sprawled upon the ground stirred in his dreams.

"Gods… Titans… Kronos, Brother, no! No… Zeus, hold your fire… my brother is not… bad…" he mumbled restlessly. Artemis gasped at the implications. This man was a brother of and had witnessed the defeat of Kronos, the Titan King. That only viable conclusion was that this deity was a titan as well, yet as Artemis recalled the surge of magical power within the tree, she realized that the power she felt then was identical to the kind within herself and her brother. The power her titaness mother Leto possessed was very different, much vaster yet more primitive and untamed.

The man suddenly began to thrash around, yelling incomprehensibly. Artemis could do nothing but watch sadly as the man relived or witnessed the death of a family member. As the dream seemed to subside, the thrashing stopped, allowing Artemis to get closer to the god lying upon the ground.

Here she encountered another obstacle. She was unable to pick the man up and take him to her home on the far side of the wood. At the moment, Artemis was in her 18-year-old human form, and as a young and inexperienced godling, she was unable to change it at will. Thus, she was incapable of picking up and subsequently moving a 20-year-old man. Leto had deemed Artemis and her brother to be too young to learn teleportation, so that was also out of the question. Artemis was contemplating shooting the god in hopes he would wake up, and she almost instigated the plan had not a rustling sound interrupted her train of thought, and out stumbled her twin brother from the undergrowth.

"Sister! Are you all right?" a teenage boy called, picking leaves out of his golden blond hair.

"Apollo, you navigate the forest with the grace of a bull," Artemis stated matter-of-factly as she scowled at her brother, "And I am perfectly fine."

"Why did you not return earlier? Mother was worried sick!" It was at this point that the goddess' eyes flicked upward, registering for the first time the blazing orange orb that was hanging low upon the backdrop of sky. Apollo's face was adorned with a frown as he eyed his sister, who was almost obsessively punctual normally, suspiciously. His gaze then began wandering around the bank, finally coming to rest upon the static form of the strange man next to the water, lying not three feet away from his sister. "Who is that? Get away from him, Artemis!"

Apollo pulled his sister behind him, shielding her from the potential danger. When he noticed the man was obviously unconscious, Apollo relaxed slightly and turned to face his sister, "What is going on here?"

"I can take care of myself, Apollo. However, I was hunting, and my arrow hit a pine tree. Then the tree morphed into this form right after I pulled the shaft out. I believe he is an unknown god," Artemis summed the situation up, voice laced with wonder, not seeming to believe the words herself.

Apollo directed his sky blue gaze toward her incredulously, "I'm sorry? Artemis, are you sick? Are you hurt?" He stretched out a hand to feel her forehead, only to have it batted away by his irate sister.

"I am not crazy! If you do not believe me, fine. But we have to take him back home and let mother take a look at him. Now help me move him!" Artemis growled in frustration, taking hold of one arm and looking to her dumbfounded brother for help.

Suddenly, the god shifted in his sleep. This was not the nightmare plagued stirring, rather it was the stirring of someone waking from a deep sleep.

Artemis' eyes turned back to the man, almost in slow motion. Her gaze and that of the strange god locked agonizingly slowly. And in that instant, time returned to normal as she stared into beautiful sea blue irises, inside which she could see her own silver orbs reflected. There was a jolt of metaphorical electricity through Artemis as their eyes met, shifting blue to her own glinting silver.

Then Artemis, confused and scared, yet strangely drawn to the man before her, uttered the first coherent sentence she could think of:

"You drool in your sleep."


	3. A Connection of Emotions

Hey hey! I'm back with a new chapter. Woo! Thank you guys again for all the support and, as always, don't forget to read and review! Enjoy! ~ DSA

Diclaimer: PJO and HOO belong to Rick Riordan. I own nothing!

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><p><strong>A Connection of Emotions<strong>

"You drool in your sleep."

As soon as the words tumbled out of the auburn-haired girl's mouth, she turned bright red and began fumbling for something to remedy the situation. Her brother snickered silently behind her, doing nothing to aid his blushing sibling.

"Do not worry, Artemis. I take no offense; although, it is nice to know for future reference," Perseus nodded sagely as he rose to his feet for the first time in half a millennium.

Once he deemed himself well enough balanced, Perseus briskly dusted off his clothing and looked up, only to find Artemis backpedaling furiously, face a mask of suspicion.

"What? What is it? Do I have something in my teeth?" Perseus asked, gesturing to his blindingly white teeth as he glanced questioningly to the wary twins.

The Twin Archers remained stoic and ignored the failed attempt at humor. "How do you know my name?" Artemis inquired, senses on high alert, her hunting instinct preparing her to flee or fight at the drop of a drachma.

"The Fates told me," Perseus stated simply after much deliberation; the slightest misstep in phrasing could spell disaster if he wished to ever speak to these godlings again. And since the twins offered his first direct interaction with other sentient beings in 500 years, Perseus desperately hoped to not skew the younger gods' opinions of him. Yet, those blessed Fates seemed unwilling to make the task easy, based on the following response.

"You are lying," Apollo interjected, brows furrowed in concentration as he analyzed Perseus' words critically.

"Am I?" the other god paled before jerking an eyebrow challengingly, "Either you need to rephrase, or your powers require some fine-tuning, Apollo."

Apollo scowled and clenched his fists, "You are only speaking partial truth. Tells us the whole story and answer our questions. I will know if you dare speak falsehoods."

"Hmm," Perseus mumbled noncommittally and leaned casually on a nearby tree, "Would you believe me if I told you?"

Artemis growled in frustration, her curiosity increasing overwhelmingly, "Just tell us! Selene will have finished her duties at this rate!"

"Yes, I do believe so. All right, children, pay close attention."

"We're not that much younger than you!" Apollo snapped.

"You have no idea how much older I really am, despite my appearance now. The tree form slows physical aging, but I will explain in a minute," Perseus said.

Apollo scoffed, "How old could you really be?" Artemis nodded stoically from beside him.

"500 years old, give or take," the oldest god drawled nonchalantly; he took much pleasure in the gaping expressions adorning the younger deities' faces, "I am the eldest god! Older than even your father, Zeus!"

The Twin Archers were speechless. Perseus gazed smugly at the siblings and continued, "I am Perseus, Son of Ouranos, born from his heart as the goddess Aphrodite appeared from his genitals. I made a… mistake all those centuries ago, and my powers sealed me in a tree form. While I was drifting in my subconscious, I could still hear all that occurred, and the Fates kept me up-to-date until it was time for my awakening. I witnessed your births. I was present for all of your adventures, from your youth to this very day, protecting you and aiding you. You could say I was your best imaginary friend. And I must admit, you two provided quite the entertainment."

"So you were spying on us from the day we were born!" Artemis shrieked, highly unsettled by that revelation.

"Yes, but not by choice. The Fates forced me to absorb all information of the earth, so I essentially spied on everybody. Besides who caught you when you fell out of that tree, Artemis?" Perseus winked, watching the goddess' ears redden, "And who dragged you, Apollo, from the surf when you ventured too far out to sea? You see, I was here, but I was your guardian. My power extended across the island, so I could intervene in any way I saw fit."

Artemis nodded and looked down, face flushing a deeper shade of red for some unknown reason. "Why did you awaken?" she mumbled.

"Because the Fates declared that it was time," Perseus responded simply, "They said it was time for me to achieve my goal."

"And that would be?" Apollo prodded.

"Mine is a journey for self-discovery. What might be yours, godling?"

Apollo's expression darkened, and the atmosphere noticeably condensed. Perseus began feeling power rush into him, similar to that from long ago, yet darker and more erratic. And it terrified him.

"My aim… my aim is to kill Python," the younger god whispered, his voice a mask deadly calm. Perseus felt the tension slowly building, the dark energy pouring into him in increasing amounts. The eldest god finally identified the source: hatred.

"S-Stop…" Perseus pleaded, staggering backward as his irises began to turn red, "please."

"Correction, my true goal is to destroy him!" Apollo continued obliviously, his anger lashing out, much like the serpent he was hell-bent on sending to Hades' realm. The intense hatred crashed down onto Perseus, making his newly awakened powers fluctuate unstably as it struggled to contain the flood of new power being introduced so brutally.

"He was the one who plagued Mother! He forced her from the world!" Perseus sank to one knee, clutching his head in pain. Artemis began to run over to help, but Perseus stopped her in her tracks with a wave of his hand. His godly power was overflowing its bounds, and the only way to compensate was to let it out again. Perseus had subconsciously redirected his powers to Artemis, trapping her under the force of the hatred. Thus, they shared the load, which was continuously growing as Apollo ranted, the young god's passion on the subject only fueling the hatred with which it was associated.

"Apollo… Shut up," Artemis ground out as she was forced to all fours alongside Perseus.

But Apollo clamored on, blind and deaf to everything around him. His senses dulled by the hatred consuming his heart.

The decision was Perseus' now. He knew Apollo was too far gone as the emotions he had bottled up for years came spilling forth, and Artemis would soon break under the force of her brother's hatred.

Mustering up the courage, Perseus somehow contained the outpour of energy to Artemis, redirecting the flow back into himself and freeing the goddess from her burden. As he did so, the pain and pressure doubled. He began seeing dark spots, and the sensation of suffocation descended over his body. Perseus lifted his blood-red eyes to meet Artemis' silver ones and, with the last of his breath, gasped, "Erect a shield!" before everything exploded.

As the smoke cleared, Perseus slowly clambered to his feet, looking around, expecting to see the landscape once again barren. Fortunately, it seems that Artemis had managed to raise a rather resistant dome around Perseus, isolating most of the explosion, but the power was obviously too much to handle for a young goddess such as herself. A trickle of power had escaped the shield, creating a shockwave that had knocked the exhausted godlings unconscious and incinerated some of the surrounding shrubbery.

Perseus slowly examined his work, the sense of guilt and self-loathing rising in his chest once more. He must escape; he could not risk another incident such as this. As he turned away from the wreckage, a splash of auburn and blond crossed his vision. His eyes slowly focused on the two godlings collapsed on the ground, as he pondered his next move. He could leave them there and have their mother worry through the night, or he could take them home and risk discovery. Deciding on the second course of action, Perseus bore the archer twins from the ground, draped an arm from each around one of his shoulders, and towed the dead weights through the woods in the direction of their humble little hut.

As the twins' home came into view, Perseus quickly disguised himself as a giant eagle and flew the godlings to their door. The tense face of Leto appeared through the window, and she looked on in relief and amazement as the large bird dropped her unconscious children off gently. She rapidly bustled out to check on her children's wellbeing as the mysterious eagle soared through the far-reaching heavens, away from his home and his only friends in this cruel, harsh world.


	4. A Battle Long Forgotten

Ok, first off. I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN ALMOST A MONTH! I had a terrible case of writer's block, and I have been super-duper busy. But here it is! An extra-long new chapter, specially for you! A reader suggested that I lengthen my chapters, and I think it's a good idea too, so expect a new chapter hopefully every other week. Hope that's cool with you guys! Just know I'm not giving up on this story unless I absolutely need to. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO. Rights go to Rick Riordan. Yeah, I know. I have the best disclaimers ever. XD

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><p><strong>A Battle Long Forgotten<strong>

**12****th**** Century B.C.: Trojan War Era**

"Such imbeciles tread upon this earth, ungrateful fools," a hooded figure murmured as he watched the war waging below him. A barely audible sigh escaped his lips; glowing, blood red eyes flashed beneath his hood; the world shuddered with such a condescending declaration and such an ominous exhalation.

"You pray to me now, sycophants. How you spite me so. Where are those cruel curses now? It was just a few years past that my name was but a blemish in your miserable lives. I am no god of victory, and I refuse to grant what I am not at liberty to give." Perseus stood from his isolated place perched on the Trojan wall, scanning the war-torn landscape as endless armored droves clashing outside the great city. Men turned their biting steel upon other men, bloodlust clouding their eyes, minds, and hearts. No doubt it was the doing of Ares, long since known as the destroyer of men.

The cries of battle rang on as Perseus calmly strolled along the towering walls of Priam's grand city when child's soft whimper far below captured his attention. Perseus sprung down with the delicacy and stealth of a sprite, an overwhelming urge to protect seizing his mind, overpowering even the constant assault of hatred's power within his core. He slowly edged along the alley to scout the source of the child's distress, murderous intent foremost in his mind. The sound of a gruff voice around the corner forced Perseus to a halt.

"Quiet, wench! Make another noise, and you'll regret ever coming into this world!" There was a _smack _and a muffled groan. The man scoffed and continued, "Weak! But that face o' yers will fetch a decent price, I reckon."

Perseus' fists clenched as he caught on to the situation. The wave of protection crested and crashed, washing the god of destruction up in a burst of fury. All the hatred from the earth's last millennium slowly slipped from Perseus' commanding grip, building up in the form of a vengeful god's rage, and Perseus did nothing to reign it back in.

Perseus' dark emotions swirled almost tangibly through the air as he drew the hand-and-a-half sword draped across his back, advancing menacingly on the scene. He snarled as a cowardly whimper tore from the man, whom Perseus identified as a flea-bitten Trojan Army mutt. Said "dog" arrogantly recovered and stupidly approached the furious god. He then started shouting something to Perseus, the reek of alcohol mingling with the energy-infused air. The soldier finally gave up the show of intimidation and drew his own sword, wobbling precariously in a drunken haze.

Perseus finally lifted his gaze to drill into the soldier's skull, eyes attaining a new, violent shade of crimson that pierced the darkness of the night. The soldier faltered at the sight.

"Step away from the girl, you cur!" Perseus spat, staring down at the sad excuse of a man with a wolf-like glare.

"W-What's it to ya? I ain't gotta listen to yer empty threats!"

"Empty, hmm?" Perseus almost purred, voice dripping with false calm, "Whatever you say, but you will not be leaving here alive."

"Who're ya to say that?"

"I? I am Perseus, the god of hatred and your destruction." Perseus drew down the hood of his cloak, fully revealing his fierce, aristocratic features, the last sight for the disgraced warrior who slowly sank to the ground.

With a flick of Perseus' wrist, the bronze sword severed the soldier's ear. The man cried out in pain, clutching the bleeding hole in the side of his head, but he was not to have much reprieve as his hand was next to disappear. Perseus continued on in like manner, experiencing a savage glee fueled by that vast storage of hatred that was finally being released. The poor man disappeared bit by bit before the rage of an incensed god.

As Perseus continued to dismember the sniveling Trojan before him, there was a soft tug at the hem of his cloak. Finishing his last attack, which cut the man across the torso, from collarbone to hipbone, tearing through the man's armor effortlessly, Perseus gleefully watched the body drop limply to the ground. The man was not yet dead, a feat Perseus grudgingly applauded, but he was close. Spitting on the motionless form, Perseus turned to face whatever had halted his onslaught and was horrified to see the little girl whom he just saved. She was crying and begging for him to stop, teary eyes peering bravely into his own glowing orbs.

Perseus froze. He had not a clue what to do in the situation. The realization that he had mentally scarred a child dimly dawned upon his brain, but his mind at that point was far too preoccupied. The rage and hatred still raged continuously through his veins and were screaming for total release. "Turn around and go home," he rasped, kicking the unconscious soldier and flashing out, finally releasing all control he had on his powers as soon as he reappeared in the midst of the Trojan troops.

After the encounter in the alley, Perseus' opinion had turned against Priam's men. If a soldier was able to sell someone from his own city, these were a people not to be helped. The false impressions and pent up anger developing after centuries of hatred and prejudice from all of mankind finally overflowed, blinding Perseus to reason and driving him to extremes.

As Perseus reappeared in the battlefield, he let out a feral howl as an explosion of red energy decimated the ranks. However, the armies were endless, and within seconds, the men filled in once again, aiming now for the rogue god. Before Perseus could get his bearings, the Trojans had surrounded him. However, he remained unfazed as a sick grin firmly plastered onto his face, hatred continuing to influence his mind.

Drawing his hand-and-a-half sword and loosening the sheath, Perseus lowered himself into a battle stance, crouched and ready to pounce. As the Trojans charged, centuries of combat training finally kicked in. Honed battle skills, natural fighting instincts, and the power of hatred had combined and were now ready to consume the Trojans in a brilliant shower of flames. A storm had broken, and there was nothing that the Trojans could have done to resist.

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><p>Death, carnage, blood, total… destruction… laid waste to the Trojan lands and army. Armed with a skillful, unconventional fighting style and pure destructive intent, Perseus fought with the strength and ferocity of a cyclone as he bore down upon the powerless soldiers. The Trojans knew then that this was the god; the god they had prayed would come, but not like this. Slowly, Perseus fell into a rhythm of slash, parry, hack, stab, block, counterattack, and parry; the hatred continued to cloud his sight, blocking all else from his mind besides this: kill.<p>

The screams of dying men resonated through the air, a thin blanket of red seeped over the ground all around Perseus. The Trojans had fallen back and were close to retreating back to their city's fortified walls, yet something held them back. Something inspired them to stand their ground against the demented god. It may have been Hope or Fate, or it was the result of sheer human stupidity. Whatever the case, the soldiers held out just long enough.

The god of destruction had lifted his sword sheath to block a blow aimed at his head and easily cut down three men along with the attacker with his counterattack. He whirled around to meet his next adversary, only to immediately raise both sword and sheath to defend against two simultaneous blows. The attacks were inhuman in their force and speed, and Perseus was forced to dig his heels into the ground to withstand the blow.

"What gods are foolish enough to stand in my way?" he growled under his breath, panting slightly as he attempted to gain an upper hand. Perseus grunted as he disengaged his weapons and jumped back, just barely outside the range of attack for both gods. As the eldest god's fogged brain attempted to analyze the situation, one of the opposing gods entered his line of sight.

It was a goddess; Perseus' demented brain told him that much. Before he could assess anything else, the goddess was closing in again with the speed and grace of a deer. In two bounds, she was directly before him, perfectly within her immediate striking distance.

_Clang!_

The collision of metal on metal echoed jarringly across the hushed battlefield. The dust cleared to reveal the two deities' weapons locked in an intricate arrangement. A feint to the side from the goddess' hunting knife had failed, having been blocked by the opposing god's sword sheath. A direct strike to the neck had been intercepted by the sword blade itself.

Perseus gritted his teeth in frustration as he found himself unable to disengage. Any movement would leave him vulnerable to attack. The only consolation was that the same could be said for the unnamed goddess.

"Stop this madness, Perseus," The goddess' commanding voice demanded. It was familiar, that much was certain for Perseus, yet he could not remember the owner in his confused state.

His only response was to release a deranged snarl and attempt to press back the flashing silver hunting knives. "So be it," the goddess muttered to herself.

Suddenly, a scuffling of feet behind him alerted Perseus to another enemy presence. Left with no choice, Perseus kicked one of the hunting knives away, momentarily freeing his sheath to intercept a sword strike aimed at his back.

There was a stinging pain in his leg a second later, and Perseus clenched his jaw as he felt the ichor flow freely out of the wound. However, he would not go down so easily. In one fluid motion, Perseus caught the newcomer's blade with his own, taking control easily. With the other god's sword locked firmly, Perseus yanked his sword backward, sneering at the muffled thump of the other god's weapon as it literally bit the dust.

A split second later, Perseus' blade was positioned millimeters away from his disarmed opponent's throat. "Freeze! Move and he dies!" the god of destruction glared condescendingly at the defeated god and the goddess. The fighting around them ceased as the Trojans and Greeks watched one of the Olympian gods be forced to his knees so easily by a hated minor god.

"Let Apollo go!" the goddess before him demanded, shooting Perseus death glares, but not moving an inch.

"Or you'll do what, goddess?" Perseus mocked, "Face the truth. These filthy Trojans will be obliterated today, and there is nothing you can do."

"What happened to your neutrality in this war?"

"Neutrality? That disappeared the moment one of those _curs _tried to sell a girl from their own city!" Perseus snarled and lunged at the gathering crowd of Trojans as his anger was reawakened, completely ignoring the other two deities. The power of hatred rose up for an encore, this time stronger than ever before.

The air around Perseus was shimmering with an oppressive force; everything once again was tinged red as the last burst of out-of-control powers diffused outward rapidly. The god of destruction lashed out at the Trojans, striking ferociously at the first row of soldiers. He then turned to charge at another arc of Trojans surrounding him, but something flashed right in front of his charge.

The figure focused in Perseus' eyes; it was the goddess again, auburn hair shining in the moonlight, silver eyes glinting with determination.

"S-Silver…" the rational part of Perseus' brain sparked back to life. Memories of ages past flashed through his mind. In the fully grown goddess' place, there stood her 12-year-old self after Perseus had saved her from falling out of that tree. The fear reflected in those unique silver eyes was something Perseus wished to never see again. Artemis then morphed into her 18-year-old form: the first time she met him. The guarded curiosity in those same eyes intrigued Perseus on sight, and he had no greater urge than to break down that barrier of weariness. That scene then faded away to be replaced with the pleading brown eyes of the girl he had saved earlier. Her begging for him to stop resounded through his skull, and the protective instinct flared inside of him.

At that moment, something inside Perseus clicked securely back in place, and recognition made its way to his eyes as they widened considerably. But control came slightly too late for this particular god. He was unable to stop his momentum in time, but the ability to redirect the blade still functioned partially. Instead of spearing Artemis straight through the chest, he managed to point the blade outward, barreling past Artemis a moment later.

But a sharp inhalation from said goddess turned Perseus' attention to her, and he stared in horror as she clutched her arm, futilely applying pressure to the bleeding wound.

The battlefield was hushed; not a soul dared to move. A goddess had just tried protecting the Trojans at the risk of endangering her life. An act such as that had been yet unheard of until that point. The Trojan troops were humbled; even the Greeks could find no more reason to fight that day.

Distantly, Perseus heard Hector and Menelaus call for their men to retreat. The sound of footsteps and the clanking of armor slowly faded away, but the god of destruction only had eyes for the moon goddess currently dripping ichor onto the ground.

He took a step forward, hoping to do something to heal the wound, but a shout from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"Get away from her!" Apollo gripped his sword tightly in his hand, glaring at Perseus as he marched toward the two. "I will heal her myself!"

Perseus stared guiltily down at his feet as he stepped back, "Of course, god of medicine. I may not grant that which I am not in possession of, which includes the ability to help others."

Apollo snarled as he passed, "You sure as Hades are incapable of doing good. Move an inch, and you will taste my true power."

Perseus steadily gazed into Apollo's equally unwavering glare before releasing a defeated sigh, averting his gaze to the ground once more, "I cannot explain my actions today. There are no words to describe the horrors I inflicted on the Trojans and you two as well. However, just know that I did not intend for this to occur, especially to the two beings who are the closest things to friends I have on this earth."

There was a pause as Apollo worked on cleaning his twin's wound. Then, "You speak the truth," Perseus let out the breath he had not known he was holding, "but you have done nothing to gain our trust."

"As to be expected, but please accept my sincerest apologies on this matter. I will grant the Trojans just enough power to even the playing field with the Greeks again, no more and no less. Afterward, I will return to strictly enforced neutrality."

Apollo humphed and conjured a chunk of ambrosia, which Artemis ate silently, apparently lost in thought. The three returned to silence as they watched the wound seal itself.

"We cannot linger. We should return to Olympus, Artemis, for the post-battle conference," Apollo said, glancing at the brightening horizon.

"I assume you are right." Artemis joined Apollo a few feet away. She then glanced over at Perseus, eyebrows furrowed, "Father will no doubt hear about this. You should expect a summons to Olympus sometime soon, and please take care of your leg before then."

Perseus looked down, surprised by his bleeding leg, having completely forgotten he was hurt in the first place. He was about to start cleaning the gash himself, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Perseus looked up to see a stony-faced Apollo staring down at him. Without a word, the younger god used his powers to clean the wound and summoned a square of ambrosia.

Once the wound had sealed, Apollo nodded curtly and prepared to flash away, "Until next time, Lord Perseus."

Perseus gave an appreciative smile, then frowned and quickly called out right as Apollo disappeared in a burst of light, "Farewell, Apollo. And enough with the 'Lord.' I call you Apollo, so you call me Perseus."

There was a pause after Apollo's departure where Artemis scrutinized Perseus before saying, "You are a strange man, Perseus. Humble, kind, loyal, dedicated; those are not qualities many males possess."

"Th-Thank you?" Perseus answered, slightly perplexed.

"Oh, it was not an insult or a complement, simply an observation gathered from the time I have spent with you."

"I see. Well, it was a pleasure seeing you again, Milady." Perseus bowed politely, "Again, I apologize for the injury I inflicted upon you."

"You were obviously not in control; no apology needed. And what you told my brother about calling you 'Lord' goes for me as well," the moon goddess chided.

"Of course, Milady," Perseus added with a cheeky grin, watching satisfactorily as the goddess rolled her eyes.

"Still a nuisance, however," Artemis muttered to herself, then she crossed her arms and peered straight into the god of destruction's pure, sea blue eyes and said softly, "Your powers are within and a part of yourself. Accept them, but control them; never allow them to control you instead. If you do so, I can guarantee today's events will never be repeated. You need not live in constant fear of them and yourself: to live like that would be such a waste of an eternity."

Artemis flashed him a quick smile before disappearing in a shower of silver, leaving Perseus slack-jawed, staring on in wonder.

The god of hatred questioned pensively, "How can a goddess so much younger than I possess so much more wisdom and insight?" He disappeared in a flash of red light, just as the first rays of sunlight bathed the blood-soaked battlefield with the hope of a new day.

* * *

><p>If Perseus was asked to describe Olympus in one word, it would be "embellished." It was a stunningly beautiful city, one fit for the gods, but the grandeur was taken to an entirely new level the closer to the throne room one got; it was certainly fitting as Zeus' palace.<p>

Strolling slowly through the Olympic gardens, Perseus recalled the only other time he had ever come to the city of the gods. It was shortly after Hermes had been crowned an Olympian, when Zeus somehow got wind of an elusive and powerful god. In his paranoia, the King of the Gods had mandated that the new god, Perseus, be summoned before him, and only him, where he could confront him about a supposed plot to uproot Olympus.

Of course, Perseus had had no hand in any sort of treachery, but Zeus had forced him to be bound to Olympus as a precaution. Thus, the Fates had come and declared his domains, which made Zeus even more skeptical of the newcomer, leading to Perseus being appointed a minor god and sent away with a scowl. As expected after such a warm welcome, Perseus never set foot on Olympus again, until this very day.

Following a summons from the king himself, the god of destruction quickly found himself as a topic of discussion up on the towering peaks of eternal Mount Olympus, for the moment he appeared at the gates of the city, the eyes of the countless nymphs and fellow minor gods never once left him. Perseus had anticipated this kind of reception, seeing as he was the most rigidly neutral party regarding the Trojan War prior to his great explosion the night before; however, the constant stares and whispers trailing behind him became too much for the reclusive god to bear, forcing him to flee to the Olympic gardens to compose himself before he entered the throne room doors.

Stepping onto the threshold of the Olympian conference room, Perseus was met with a roar of arguing. It seemed almost every god had something to say about someone else: nothing good, but entirely petty.

The only ones not feuding were Artemis and a girl crouched tending the hearth. But the hearth girl was the only one who gave any indication that she acknowledged Perseus' arrival. She raised her warm brown eyes to Perseus' and beamed a heart-warming smile in his direction before gesturing for Perseus to approach her quietly.

"Hello, Uncle Perseus," she greeted him the moment he was within earshot, "They will be with you shortly. Please excuse the dysfunction in our family."

"Hello Hestia," Perseus smiled as he sat down next to her, "It's a pleasure to meet you, but can you not call me 'Uncle?' It makes me feel old, and physically, I am not much older than the Twin Archers."

Hestia giggled at the god's uncomfortable expression and turned to watch Athena verbally abuse Poseidon, "They are the most hotheaded beings on the planet, but they are family. I can tell they secretly love each other."

And true to her word, Perseus could feel no real animosity coming from anyone, even though they were battling up a storm. Finally, Zeus had had enough, and he fired his bolt into the floor a few times to get the gods' attention. Hestia gently nudged Perseus to stand up and go forward to the center of the room.

"I, Lord Zeus, King of the Gods, call this meeting to order!" the sky god thundered, "I summon Lord Perseus to the stand. For your involvement in the Trojan War against your vow of neutrality, you are hereby sentenced to Tartarus for treason against Olympus!" There was a flash of lightning in the sky and a crack of thunder to seal the edict.

Perseus scoffed at the sheer arrogance and gall taking place before him. "_Lord _Zeus, may I please direct your attention to the pure hypocrisy you demonstrate here today."

"Watch your mouth, minor god!" Zeus rumbled, beard crackling with electricity, "You are in the presence of your king! Bow down to me and accept your fate!"

Perseus ignored the temperamental god, "I am to be sentenced to Tartarus for one slight lapse in control. It was not my intention to break neutrality, _My Lord_. But you, on the other hand, intentionally break your neutrality and side with Troy for that sea nymph you have pined over for ages Thetis!"

Hera's head shot up as she turned her jealous glare on Zeus, "Is that true, _Husband_?"

Zeus waved it off nervously, "N-No! Insolence will not be tolerated, Lord Perseus! Neither will lies! Goodbye, God of Destruction!"

The Lord of the Skies pointed his bolt at a stoic Perseus, mouth twisted in an unpleasant sneer. Time seemed to slow down as the bolt fired. The intense beam of lightning shot at Perseus and exploded with a mighty boom, covering the throne room in a thick layer of smoke.


	5. A Price to Pay

Hey guys! So, first things first, I'd like to apologize for my lack of warning about how OOC Percy would be last chapter. I will try to alert you before I spring something like that on you again. Also, another late update! I'm on a roll! Hopefully spring break will allow me to pick up the writing pace a bit. And, as always, read, enjoy, and review... and cut to disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I will never be Rick Riordan, so I will never own PJO or HOO.

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><p><strong>A Price to Pay<strong>

"No! Brother!" A shriek cut through the tense, dust-filled air. The throne room was filled with a deafening silence in the aftermath of such an explosion as the Olympians' heads swiveled around to stare at Aphrodite's tear-streaked face. A look of agony was splayed across her features, clashing unpleasantly with her flawless visage.

"Yes! Sister!" As the silence became suffocating, a voice suddenly called from amid the slowly settling smog in the middle of the room.

Heads snapped in the opposite direction as a silhouette was gradually revealed. Glowing red eyes were the first distinguishable feature as they peered calmly, yet amusedly at the goddess of love, "I see you finally realized your relation to me. What gave it away? My charming good looks or my impeccable sense of style?"

Artemis scoffed from her throne, drawing a lopsided grin from Perseus. Aphrodite shot the two a scathing glare, wiped away a few stray tears, and answered haughtily, "In your dreams, Perseus. Your power signature simply resembles Father Ouranos'. I noticed when you blocked Lord Zeus' attack. But this new relationship changes nothing; I still hate you! You represent everything I do not care for, and thus are my enemy."

Perseus's grin turned mocking as he pointed out with a wink, "Oh, but those tears tell a different story."

Aphrodite's cheeks flushed, whether in anger or embarrassment Perseus couldn't decide. She huffed and turned away, leaving Perseus to smirk victoriously. Suddenly, an outraged yell came from behind Perseus, but the god rolled his eyes and, with a snap of his fingers, the yell was cut off. He stepped aside, and an enraged Zeus came barreling harmlessly past, his Master Bolt having been snapped in half.

Perseus goading laugh resonated around the room, and he drew his own sword with a challenging jerk of the head. Zeus took a threatening step forward, materializing a spear in his hands.

"Enough!"

Hera barged between the two, emanating the furious aura of a woman scorned. She shot her unfaithful husband a death glare, "Sit back down, _Zeus_! You have no right to make any decisions without a majority from the council! Be glad Perseus blocked your bolt, since it saved Hermes a trip down to Tartarus to retrieve a wrongfully imprisoned god! We will now have a vote."

The council of gods had never seen Hera act so assertively before, so no one was brave enough to object, even if they wanted to.

"Those in favor of sending Perseus to Tartarus?" Hera declared. Only Ares and Zeus raised their hands, but a disgusted look from Hera forced both their hands back down.

"Those opposed?" The rest of the council besides Dionysus raised their hands.

"Those abstaining from vote?" Dionysus' hand lifted lazily into the air.

"The council has spoken. Perseus will not be sentenced to Tartarus! Does anyone have anything else to add?"

Unsurprisingly, Athena stepped forward, "Yes, even though we are not punishing Lord Perseus for his loss of control, we must keep watch on him, to help him control his powers and to ensure his loyalty to Olympus. It would be disastrous if he were to turn against us in any way."

Perseus scowled and cleared his throat, "I have already been forced to swear loyalty to you Olympians, and as the god of loyalty, I find it impossible to go back on my word."

"I have full faith in your ability to keep your word; however, it is the problem of you being incapable of controlling your powers that worries me."

"I do not need a babysitter!" Perseus' frown deepened as he stared defiantly into the goddess' stormy gray eyes, but he sighed in defeat as he realized the truth in the goddess' words, "Then who is to 'watch' me?"

"I, personally, cannot with my duties to Father," Athena shook her head, her calculating eyes scanning the room for any volunteers. Nobody spoke.

After a moment, the goddess of wisdom spoke again, "Why not you, Artemis? You are sensible and appear to know Perseus better than the rest of us."

"Me?" Artemis gawked incredulously, "He is a male! I am not all that against having Perseus stay with the Hunt, but my hunters will eat him alive!"

Zeus slammed his fist on his armrest, "I will _not_ have that creature living with you! Why are you so accepting of him?"

Artemis turned a cold gaze upon her father, "Because he was more of a friend and parent than you ever were."

Zeus' jaw clenched and he gritted out through his teeth, "He hurt you! And you will show me the respect that I deserve, girl!"

"Hold your tongue, Zeus! You are in enough trouble as it is!" Hera snapped irritably before grabbing her husband's ear and flashing out, no doubt to give him the tongue lashing of his life. Perseus did not pity the old fool.

Turning his attention back to the topic at hand, Perseus spoke up, "Lady Artemis, I would forever be grateful if you were to accept me as a… pupil, per say, and companion to your Hunt. I swear on the Styx to not be a burden upon you."

"I…" Artemis hesitated, looking conflicted and unsure of the whole situation.

"Please, _Milady_," Perseus smirked as he watched the corner of goddess' mouth twitch slightly, "Though I am much older than all of you, I have been unable to learn all I can about my powers because of my isolated lifestyle and the Fates' selective instruction. It would benefit me greatly, and I can also teach the Hunt the art of swordsmanship, if that may aid you in any way."

Artemis' brow furrowed as she tried futilely to think of an excuse before finally admitting defeat and nodding. She gave Perseus a hard stare and said, "Might as well get it over with. Come to the forest outside Priam's city. If you can find us, you are worthy of joining the Hunt," and flashing out.

Perseus grinned, "Challenge accepted," before he too disappeared in a flash of red.

* * *

><p>An hour of Perseus' immortal life had disintegrated into sniffing out the Hunt. Perseus had searched everywhere in the woods, but to no avail. He was purely incapable of locating the moon goddess' band of merry maidens.<p>

The will to continue was just about to vanish completely when the blue-eyed god's divine hearing registered a slight commotion a short way west of his position. Mustering up some dregs of courage and subduing his exhaustion, Perseus headed out toward the noise.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight he would stumble upon at the hunters' camp.

Utter chaos had descended upon the girls in the form of a monster attack. A pack of gigantic canines, hellhounds, had cornered some younger huntresses at one end of camp, while a horde of much stronger adversaries had surrounded the older, more experienced girls. Even Artemis began looking irritated as she chopped through the seemingly endless army of monsters with her hunting knives.

Silent as his sacred animal the tiger, Perseus drew his sword and unstrapped his sheath, falling upon his prey fluidly, completely in his element. Covertly delivering several well-placed slashes in rapid succession, Perseus sliced through a good fraction of the monsters without attracting any attention, but it wasn't enough. Attempting to conceal your presence and kill things at the same time was an extremely difficult combination.

Finally, Perseus decided that he had to risk distracting the hunters if he were ever to have a chance at destroying those monsters. Drawing on his powers, Perseus tuned a wave of destructive force to explode around him and decimate only the monsters. A red ring rippled outward, and the monsters fell, being reduced to golden dust within moments. The hunters went on high alert as they scanned the area for the source of the power and laid eyes on Perseus.

"Who are you, _boy_?" One of them, a dark-haired girl with the air of a Persian princess, asked disdainfully, as though the word 'boy' were the worst insult one could receive.

"Nice to meet you as well," Perseus muttered, "And I am no boy, to answer your question."

"That answered nothing!" the huntress spat, "Now tell us who you really are."

"Do you know the myth of Perseus?" the god inquired.

"Of course! But that has no bearing in this conversation," was the harsh reply.

"Oh, but it does. So tell me, what do you know about him?"

"He was a demigod son of Zeus who slew Medusa," another huntress stated bluntly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Perseus scoffed, "No, the other one, that Perseus' namesake!"

"The god of hatred, then. And of destruction. Nothing to be proud of," the princess-like girl sneered.

Perseus forced himself to swallow a snappy comeback, "And his appearance?"

A child Athena by the looks of it piped up, "Perseus is a very reclusive god, so very few have documented his appearance."

_They speak of me as if I am an animal to be observed, _Perseus thought bitterly, "What do they know of his features?"

The Athenian girl scanned Perseus suspiciously, "Why do you want to know?"

"Simply curious, is all."

"There is no need to be curious," a new voice suddenly entered the conversation, "god of death-black hair, god of blood-red eyes, the end of man, _Lord_ Perseus, for it is of yourself that you are asking."

Perseus smirked and bowed low to the newcomer, "At last, a huntress uncovers my identity, despite a less-than-fair notion of my arrival." He glanced up from his genuflecting position straight into the disapproving silver eyes of Artemis herself.

"You are much different than you were yesterday," the moon goddess stated, "I cannot say this changed personality is particularly appealing."

Perseus straightened out and laughed happily, much more freely than he had done in centuries, "I have finally released much of mankind's hatred from the last 1000 years! A personality change is to be expected."

Artemis smiled fondly at the god, but quickly became emotionless again once she realized what she was doing, "I tire of this pointless chatter. Hunters, I have an announcement. Lord Perseus will be staying with us for an indefinite amount of time, as decreed by the gods. Please treat him with respect, do not harm him, etc. You know the drill, girls. Just treat him like you do Apollo."

The statement was met by a cacophony of groans and complaints, but a scowl from Artemis shut them up. Then, redirecting a glare on Perseus, Artemis demanded in a no-nonsense attitude, "Flirt with my hunters, hurt them, do anything to them, and you will wish you were never born."

"Understood, Milady!" Perseus saluted smartly and smiled at the hunters, "A pleasure to meet you. I am Perseus…"

The hostility on the hunters' faces was enough to stop him in his tracks. Finally, the Persian princess-like girl sneered derisively, "I thought we had reached that conclusion already." The other hunters either laughed outright or had enough kindness to try smothering the laughter behind their hands as they slowly dispersed around the trampled campsite.

At last, it was only Perseus and Artemis. "I must apologize for that. Zoe is not the most… accepting of men, no matter if they're human or divine."

"I see. She must have had quite the bad experience with males for her to hate them so much," Perseus mused, wincing as the familiar flow of hatred accompanying a good amount of pain suddenly washed over his core.

Artemis looked over at him sadly, "It seems like hatred replaces quickly in the world."

With a sigh, Perseus nodded, "Unfortunately. And I am to bottle it all up until my next grand blow-up, hopefully far into the future."

"That's not right. Most gods do not contain their powers. You would not need to suffer if you simply allowed the hatred to cycle naturally back to the earth." The moon goddess said with a frown.

"I cannot allow that," Perseus objected quietly, directing his gaze to the darkening sky. At Artemis' questioning silence, he continued, "Have you ever met Hypnos? Nike? Any wielder of an emotional or metaphysical state will exhibit this. Take Hypnos for example. He is a god who maintains the continuous cycle of sleep energy, using the technique you suggested to me. But there is a side effect."

"Which is?"

"Those around you will be able to feel the effects of your domain. That is why those who are near Hypnos feel drowsy. It's because he continuously exudes sleep."

"So if you were to channel your powers like that, everything around you would be destroyed?" Artemis asked, intrigued by this new information.

"Not exactly," Perseus answered pensively, "Since destruction is not a metaphysical state or emotion, that aspect of my powers does not apply to this situation."

Glancing over at Artemis, he saw her completely bemused expression and elaborated, "The explosion of destructive powers is a result of the bottled hatred combining with my powers of destruction. You could say it represents the extent of the physical and psychological damage I am capable of inflicting if my powers are left unchecked."

"That makes sense," Artemis admitted, "So, if you took my previous advice, everybody around you would feel hatred?"

"Correct, correct!" Perseus grinned, "Forcing negative emotions into people is not the greatest way to start a conversation, so I believe not letting any of my power out and dealing with the individual repercussion is better than unleashing something awful upon the whole of mankind with no consequence for myself."

Artemis lifted her gaze to meet Perseus' bright sea blue eyes. Not for the first time did she find herself thinking just how beautiful those twin sapphire irises truly were. Shaking herself out of those forbidden waters, Artemis spoke, "You are unusual, as I have said before. I have met no one with quite as much loyalty and selflessness to match your own."

Perseus blushed, but smiled, "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Artemis."

"What have I said about the 'Lady' business, Lord Perseus?"

"The same thing I have said about the 'Lord' business, Lady Artemis," Perseus grinned lopsidedly as he ran his fingers through his midnight locks.

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Well, back to the subject of your powers. It seems I have nothing to teach you; rather, it is you teaching me. Why did you agree to have me 'instruct' you on something you already know?"

"So I could get the chance to learn something I do not know," Perseus answered simply.

"You will need to elaborate. It seems that the Fates' vague ways of speech have rubbed off on you."

"Archery."

"Archery? Are you saying that the great and ancient Lord Perseus does not know how to wield a bow and arrows?" Artemis teased good-naturedly.

Perseus scowled and argued defensively, "It was always something I never got the hang of. And was the 'ancient' comment really necessary?"

"You are the first god," Artemis pointed out.

"Yes, but going by that logic, Aphrodite would be ancient as well, since she was born mere minutes after I was formed. Besides, I only have about 500 years on you. If you compare that in respect to immortality, it is hardly a large gap at all." Perseus insisted.

Artemis looked thoughtful, "I guess you have a point."

"Of course I do!" Perseus puffed out his chest and faked an arrogant grin, causing the goddess next to him to roll her eyes once more.

"It is about time for dinner, and I need to check my hunters for injuries. I suggest you head to camp as well. After all, you are the one cooking for us tonight as reward for saving us." Artemis began walking toward the cluster of tents.

"What? Wait! Artemis! How does that make any sense! Hold on!" Perseus balked, caught completely off guard by the goddess' quick change of attitude, watching dejectedly as Artemis sauntered off toward the tents.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Ancient powers are awakening, Perseus…" Clotho's voice echoed mystically._

_ "__Ones you are destined to fight…" Atropos continued._

_ "__Beware, my boy, it will be no easy task…" The voice of Lachesis boomed eerily._

_ "__But you will be ready, you must. For the fate of the world is in your hands…" _

_The three intermingled voices trailed off vaguely into the ethereal, misty landscape, leaving Perseus to call after them, confused, curious, and sufficiently frightened, "But, Clotho! Atropos! Lachesis! Wait, please! What are those powers? Does this have anything to do with the monster attack yesterday? I must know more!" _

_"__You will know when the time comes. It is risky for us to even visit you here. Now, _wake up!"

"Wake UP! Oh, for the love of Zeus!"

There was a sharp snap and a splash. Perseus shot up in his little cot, sopping wet, eyes darting everywhere in an attempt to locate his assailant. They finally landed on the silhouettes of Artemis along with those of two hunters.

Sputtering as water dribbled down his face from his hair, Perseus huffed indignantly, "Why did you do that?"

In an instant, hunter #1 (otherwise known as Zoe) had an arrow nocked and ready to shoot the god through. "Watch your tone, boy! You will show some respect, or you will be missing something precious to you soon enough!" The bowstring tightened more.

"Stand down, Zoe!" Artemis barked before turning back to Perseus, "Get up! It's time for archery lessons."

Taking one look at the pre-dawn sky, Perseus flopped back down and groaned, "It's not even daybreak yet!"

There was a _twang _and an arrow implanted itself into the cot, mere centimeters away from Perseus' head. Perseus blanched and jumped up, no longer in any kind of mood to sleep in. Artemis, meanwhile, frowned and plucked the arrow out of the bed, "Zoe, this is inexcusable!"

"Milady,_ it _was being disrespectful."

"Zoe!" Artemis warned, but Perseus raised a hand and walked over to Zoe, drying his clothes with his powers in the process. Artemis eyed the man suspiciously, not entirely trusting him to behave either.

Perseus held Artemis' gaze and almost imperceptibly shook his head. Artemis shot him one more distrusting glance but turned to give an order to other hunter (Phoebe). He then continued to slowly advance on the unfazed lieutenant. As he neared the girl, he realized just how skittish she was feeling in the situation; there was apprehension in her eyes, and every muscle was tensed. Slowing down the closer he got, Perseus eventually came to a halt before the dark-haired girl and stared hard into her onyx eyes.

To Zoe's credit, she maintained eye contact with Perseus' tiger glare for a full minute before faltering. The slight waver in her focus was all the signaling Perseus needed as he softened his gaze. By this point, the two were almost nose-to-nose, neither showing physical signs of surrender.

Without warning, Perseus jumped back and swept low in a bow. Zoe, who had obviously not been expecting that and whose emotions were on edge the whole time, unsheathed the hunting knives at her belt and slashed blindly. There was a _snick_ and Zoe calmed down to see that she had nicked Perseus' cheek. He was oozing golden ichor from the cut, but he maintained his position despite the condition.

Zoe shook herself from the shock of injuring an immortal and said stolidly, "I apologize, Lord Perseus. Get up and heal the wound. We do not have all day." With a decided sheathing of her knives, she left the tent without a word, motioning for Phoebe to follow her.

Artemis watched sadly ass her oldest hunters strode from the tent before turning to the injured god sympathetically, "Give them time; they will come around eventually." She slowly pulled Perseus over to the bed and examined the cut. It was not fatal in the slightest, so Artemis summoned a square of ambrosia and shoved it into the god's hands. He nodded appreciatively before devouring it in a bite. The cut immediately ceased flowing with ichor, and the torn tissue was in the process of mending itself when the dulcet tones of a hunting horn sliced through the frigid morning air. Not a minute later, a young hunter poked her head in and announced hysterically, "My Lady! Lord Perseus! The Greeks are attacking the Trojans once more, and Lord Ares is accompanying them on the battlefield! We must defend Troy!"

"What stupid gods and men!" Artemis exclaimed as she drew her bow and flashed out.

Perseus abruptly thanked the hunter before he too teleported to the gates of Troy where a battle was raging furiously. Assessing the situation, Perseus concluded that the entire battle was instigated by Ares himself. The god's bloodthirsty aura was diffused throughout the Greek ranks, poisoning their minds and influencing their actions. Analyzing still farther, Perseus realized that many of the troops were in no condition to be fighting, seeing as they had just been injured in battle the day before. Gods only did this sort of thing when they bored, and witnessing the selfish deed firsthand motivated Perseus to fight harder.

As Perseus weaved his way through the tide of battle with his trusty sword and sheath, he began counting the number of Greeks he managed to take down, hoping to return to neutrality as soon as possible. A jab, a slash, and a Greek soul flitted down to Hades' realm. With each life taken, Perseus' nausea increased until he could bear it no more. Flashing away from the battlefield, Perseus reappeared next to a tree in the forest and sat down, staring blankly into the undergrowth.

Slowly but surely, his stomach settled and he stopped shaking. Perseus took a deep breath and stood up, ready to flash back to the fighting, but the splashes of red on his hands stopped him in his tracks.

"The blood of my… enemies. No, they are not enemies, merely unfortunate souls I stripped from this world to repay my debt," Suddenly, a realization crashed onto Perseus' shoulders with the force of the sky, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"I'm no better than Ares…" He whispered, horrified by the revelation, "I murdered _527 _men in cold blood today to repay a debt… It was all for my own personal gain... But that debt must be repaid. There is no other way. Hades, cleanse my soul."

The prayer was uttered in a distress-filled mumble as the god teleported once again to the bloodshed occurring before Priam's mighty gates.

* * *

><p>Upon his reappearance on the battlefield, Perseus sensed a disturbance. There was no longer just the power of Ares, but also those of Hera and Aphrodite intermingling in the air, and sure enough, all three divinities were engaged in battle against the Trojans. The gods have truly entered the game. Artemis and the hunters were doing all they could to even the playing field for the Trojans, but they were no match for three Olympians. Granted, Artemis was doing fine on her own, but the hunters were little more than immortal demigods, and as such, they did not have the fully developed and far-reaching powers of a god. Perseus gritted his teeth in frustration for both his unpaid debt and the gods' meddling.<p>

As he watched Ares swing his broadsword with the epitome of savage glee etched upon his scarred face, Perseus refocused his gaze on the target of the sword blow, and standing directly in the danger zone was Zoe Nightshade, disarmed, afraid, and in extreme peril.

Without a second thought, Perseus teleported to the girl, right as the flash of metal began its fatal descent toward her undefended neck.


End file.
